Online Teaching

Online Teaching is one of the courses I took in the Master of Information Systems program I took at UPOU. I enjoyed this subject a lot coz we were given the opportunity to pretend to be an online instructor.

But if i am given the opportunity to teach online, i would surely enjoy it since I would be able to teach and share my knowledge to students from different places and diverse culture. I would definitely find teaching a little more exciting and fulfilling because i know that I would be communicating with people who I know I might never have the chance to meet.

In our country though there are a lot of personal or societal factors that are barriers to online teaching and learning. Some of the them are listed below:

1. Only a small amount of our population have access to the internet. Based from the InternetWorldStat, only about 6% of our total population use the Internet.

2. A lot of people still do not know and appreciate the use and benefits of Information Technology in education.

3. And, since more than half of our country's population are part of the growing Class C family, many are deprived of the opportunity to IT education.

How can we therefore overcome the factors that prevent increased use of information and communication technologies in education?

Based from the barriers stated above, below are some suggestions I can give so that we can overcome these barriers, hence, increase the use of information and communications technology in education.

1. For factor 1, the major reason for this would be rooted to our economic situation. If incase internet access costs cheaper, say PhP5.00 / hour ( which can only happen if electricity and/or IT cost lessen.), then maybe more Filipinos will have access to the internet and therefore will be given the chance to know more and appreciate Information Technology.

2. For factor 2, this could probably be solved by advertising the use and benefits of ICT through the help of media such as television, radio, or newspaper.

3. And for facor 3, this is again connected to our economic situation and also to poverty. I guess the only thing I can suggest here is for universities or college institutes to lower their tuition fees for IT-related courses. Or better yet request government or private sectors to give more scholarships to less fortunate but deserving students.